Pilot study of continuation cognitive-behavioral therapy for major depression in adolescent psychiatric patients.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether continuation of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT-C) could prevent relapse in adolescent psychiatric patients who had remitted from major depressive disorder (MDD).

METHOD: Seventeen patients who continued to have CBT-C for 6 months after remission from MDD were compared with a historical control group of 12 cases who had no further treatment after remission.

RESULTS: Only 1 of the 17 cases who continued with CBT-C dropped out. The cumulative relapse risk during CBT-C was significantly lower (0.2) than it had been in the historical control group (0.5).

CONCLUSIONS: CBT-C warrants further investigation in a randomized, controlled trial.